Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Some thoughts on elections-2009

The seculars have defeated the communals. The people's verdict must be respected and the Congress party must be congratulated. While the secular cheerleaders are in rapture, the communal folks seem to be completely disheartened by their inability to win a mandate. Varied reasons are being put forward by one and all for the lesser than expected results for the communals. Some are even resorting to conspiracy theories. But the true ones will only be apparent when a thorough analysis is carried out.

Random listing of my thoughts below -

1. The communals were ineffective in taking their message to the masses.

2. In debates, they let the focus shift away from their message and got tricked into defending themselves against various allegations.

3. The communals were playing by the rules set by their opponents, were never able to turn the tables on the seculars.

4. Party spokespersons were similarly ineffective.

5. Never countered any myth spread by the secular media allowing the urban youth to be drawn away from the communals.

6. Ran a negative campaign and were unable to defend when faced with inconvenient questions.

7. Allowed the media to keep focus on communal issues rather than highlight their development manifesto.

8. Support from RSS and other organisations does not seem wholehearted.

9. Infighting hurt the communals in quite a few constituencies.

10. Strayed away from their core beliefs and distanced their core support base.

11. Bending over backwards to seek the secular approval repudiating the very beliefs that helped them rise to national prominence.

12. Unable to expand their support base beyond their strongholds.

13. Content with playing second fiddle to coalition partners.

The communals should not fall for the trap being set for them by the secular opinion makers who are now urging them to reinvent and adopt a "center right" approach. Not for nothing did they win a series of elections in the last couple of years and were able to retain strongholds. Instead any reinvention must be on the lines of falling back to their roots, regain the core support base back, gain ground in more states and look after the interests of the support base by not reneging on promises. The communals must strengthen themselves and refrain from seeking the secular approval. Koenraad Elst has analysed the communal failure to capture power -

Right-wing parties all over the world have a common trait:Once in or near power, they betray their own support base. The BJP is nodifferent. It is needlessly described as a ‘Hindu chauvinist’ party which it isnot. To prove its ‘secular’ credentials, the BJP chose to become the ‘B’ team ofthe Congress. And was rejected by the voters